Never Too Late
by Mikila94
Summary: Ran wants to know why Nijiko didn't go with Ryo, but will the younger woman be willing to answer?


**A.N: Here we go; my first 7 Seeds fic (really short but whatever.) It's about Nijiko and Ran since I came up with a scene between them that I just had to write. I'm sure that they will become good friends with each other :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own 7 Seeds**

**Never Too Late**

Shishigaki Ran, eldest woman in the household of Team Summer A and Team Autumn walked in to the cool night air, forcing back a yawn for she had to take the night watch duty from Nijiko of Summer A. Ran, as a person suspicious by nature has found herself in a weird situation: while the younger woman was probably the most mysterious and with that the most dangerous of them all she still found herself trusting her the most after her own team. What had caused it, again? Their more or less rivalry in the construction work? No, that couldn't be just it, even if it was where it had started. People like Nijiko, the ones that were hard to figure out, usually annoyed her and the poker faced girl was no different. However, there was something about her that lit her curiosity; like when she caught her just staring in to space lost in thought or when she wandered around at night, seemingly unable to go to sleep. Something was bothering her.

"_And this night doesn't seem to be an exception" _Ran thought as she started to walk over to the younger woman. She looked to be lost in thought, but by now Ran knew better. Nijiko never let her guard down. Ever. Ran wouldn't have been surprised if she was a light sleeper who woke up from a single fly coming to the room.

"Time for switch" she said as she reached the younger one's side.

"Seems like it" she stated simply before standing up and starting to walk away. No good nights or anything; Nijiko was a woman who only spoke when it was needed... if she felt like it. She seemed to become even quieter when Ryo left, which reminded Ran of something she had been meaning to ask for a while now.

"Why didn't you go with Ryo?" at this the younger woman stopped, but did not turn around as she answered with a question of her own: "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious" the autumn member replied "You two seemed so close."

"Had I gone there would have been no one left from the water class here, it would've been troublesome since the dry season was starting" Nijiko explained "That is all."

"Is it?" Ran asked, raising an eyebrow and crossing her arms "I don't think I buy that."

"It doesn't matter if you believe me or not" Nijiko said "And truth to be told it is none of your business."

"Not yet, but it will be if you let it bother yourself enough to not do your work properly" Ran said, instantly knowing she had the other woman more or less in her hands now as she turned to look at her, the usually completely blank face one of elegant anger "Did I hit a sore spot?"

"I don't have sore spots, as you call them" Nijiko told, regaining her composure "I left the things called feelings behind long ago; so long I'm not sure if I ever had them in the first place" turning her head away again, she finished: "It was necessary for survival."

"Bullshit" Ran said with an eye roll, somewhat irritated "If that was true you wouldn't have made such a face; anger is a feeling."

"Call it what you want; I'm going to bed" Nijiko said "This is a waste of time."

"Talking is a waste of time?"

"When the discussion has no clear meaning, it is" Nijiko confirmed "Unless you actually have a point for this conversation I don't see a reason to continue it."

"The point is to ask how you became such a bitch" Ran said, frowning as Nijiko simply replied: "Life does that to people."

"You don't see me bitching at people?"

"Don't I?" Nijiko asked with a raised eyebrow. Ran sighed, saying: "Alright, never mind that."

"Are we done, then?"

"No, we're not" the older woman said "I _still _don't understand why you didn't go with those two. Weren't you and Ryo close?"

"You're not going to stop asking that before I answer, are you." It wasn't a question but a statement. Ran was persistent and she knew that.

"Considering the Summer A should be made of elites you realized it surprisingly late" Ran replied. The slight tensing on Nijiko's shoulders told her she hit a sore spot "Well? Why is it just Ryo you seem to trust?"

"A mundane like you wo-"

"Wouldn't what?" Ran interrupted "Understand? Try it, you might be surprised. Or are you perhaps afraid I'll prove your reasoning ridiculous?"

As Nijiko clenched her hands in to fists Ran knew she had her. She'd spill the beans any moment now.

"...you could say Ryo and I are alike, but more importantly I... felt like he was the only one it was safe to get close to." Ran raised an eyebrow, not quite getting it. However, she did know Nijiko wasn't trying to mislead her, for if she was she wouldn't stop to think her next words all the time. This was the first time she'd hear something even close to uncertainty in the younger woman's voice.

"Meaning?"

"It was always clear to me I'd come to the future, just like the fact that there'd only be seven of us" Nijiko told "It wouldn't have done any good to get close to people when you didn't know if they died or survived; this way I didn't have to go through the same pain of loss everyone else did."

"But you were sure Ryo would survive so there was no problem in becoming close to him?"

"Exactly" Nijiko said "Anything else you insist on knowing?"

"I still don't get it; why didn't you go with Ryo?"

"...I don't need to answer that." Nijiko finally said after keeping quiet for quite a while. Ran narrowed her eyes, but as she was about to say something it really hit her.

"I get it now" she said "You don't even know yourself why you didn't go, do you."

"Are you finished?" was the younger woman's only answer.

"Yeah, just one more thing" Ran said "It's never too late to stop being a bitch and start making friends."

Unlike Ran had expected, these words didn't get to Nijiko.

"If by "being a bitch" you mean being rational, then hopefully I never stop" Nijiko said. With one last glance to Ran's direction, she said: "As for friends, I don't need any."

"Sure, keep telling yourself that" Ran said "But keep in mind that this is not a world where one can survive alone."

"Aramaki survived" was Nijiko's last argument as she turned around, walking away. Ran glared after the younger girl, knowing she had gotten the last word this time. But just this time.

"Wise words" Ran heard a man's voice say.

"Akio" she greeted her team mate "Were you listening in?"

"Nah, just a coincidence" he denied "Wise words; I just hope you'd take your own advice and stop being a bitch."

"Believe me; I did just that when we came to this world."

"Oh really?" Akio asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, really" Ran said "If I were even half the bitch I used to be I would've been the one to get killed by Ango and Ryo."

"But you _were _the first Ango _tried _to kill" Akio pointed out, earning a deathly glare "Shut it, Akio."

"Dear Ran, I'm not trying to blame you for Izayoi's death or anything" Akio said, holding his hands up "I'm just saying that if you weren't such a bitch your life might be a little easier."

"You're an asshole" Ran said walking away. She flipped a finger at Akio as the man called after her: "It's never too late to stop being a bitch and start making friends!"

**A.N: Ahem, yeah, maybe a bit OOC but hey, we don't even know much about those three... truth to be told I wrote this only because I like the lecture Ran gives to Nijiko... had to build a little story around it. Next I might write some MatsuriXRyo...**

**Anyway, why is there so little 7 Seeds fics? Because it's not well known? Well for everyone who like 7 Seeds and read this, how about trying to write your own fic about it? It doesn't need to be perfect or even good, but I'd like it if you guys at least tried; I really want some way to pass time ´till the next chapter comes out and I bet I'm not the only one.**


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